Ready for the challenges ahead

EXPANSION continues at Foam Techniques in Wellingborough where investment in new equipment and the workforce reflects the company's most successful year to date.
Sales levels were up in the last financial year. The impact on sterling following the Brexit vote, along with the impact of raw material increases resulting from chemical supply prices, made for challenging conditions but the company's focus on customer care and market development helped to offset some of this impact.
To support future growth Foam Techniques continued its recent investment pattern with the purchase of a new purpose-built lamination line that not only builds capacity into the process but helps the company in its journey to achieving zero to atmosphere. By minimising overspray and achieving a better coat weight VOC levels are being significantly reduced, this investment also increases the range of foams that can be treated, thereby opening up new opportunities for the foam conversion firm.
Further investment, with the first of a number of planned new presses being delivered, supports the company's drive to automation, reducing waste and achieving efficiencies required to remain competitive. The recent significant investment sees Foam Techniques now boasting zero waste to landfill, having significantly reduced emissions to the atmosphere, with the target being zero atmospheric waste in the next five years.
Steve Thomas, Operations Director at Foam Techniques, said: "We are always looking at ways to reduce our environmental impact, as are our customers, so it's important to find ways to reach our targets. 2017 represented our busiest year since the formation of the company, and as we celebrate our 30th year of operation this significant investment supports our expansion plans for the future.
"Looking to the future, we are confident that we will continue to expand - we await the outcome of Brexit but there will be positives and negatives. New markets will open up and we've seen a trend towards UK customers reshoring supply while at the same time our exports have shown steady growth.
"The labour market may become problematic but we will deal with that. We've just taken on our second apprentice, in the customer services department, and investment in the future of the workforce is just as important as investment in equipment, we are a people business and it's important to us that we retain this as we grow.
"Everyone faces challenges in business these days, but with our quality product and our commitment to our customers and the level of service we provide as standard, we are confident things are only going to remain positive."
For more information about Foam Techniques visit www.foamtechniques.uk or email any enquiries to sales@foamtechniques.co.uk